July 29, 2023

Roof racks for a Gen 5 4runner

My main interest is in being able to sleep on top. You can go whole hog with a rooftop tent, but that is not what I am aiming for. There are lots of choices. Not many people seem to want a rooftop sleeping platform like I do. Most of the roof rack action is from the Overlanding crowd.

Because I wanta flat platform that I can sleep on, I decided to go with the Gobi rack. It offers a flat sheet of perforated metal. The Prinsu and most (if not all) others give you a pair of front to back "rails" with a bunch of bars you install left to right. This is not what I would want to sleep on, so I would be adding a sheet of some material and have to figure out how to attach it and deal with noise and vibration.
The Gobi just solves all of that as delivered.

I placed the order and gave them a $500 deposit on 8/28/2023. They assured me that the estimated 6 week delivery time was running true. If so, I should see the rack in mid-October. There are numerous stories online about people waiting as long as 3 months to get their rack. I actually don't mind if it turns out that way. As long as I get a quality item, the wait will be fine.

On October 26, 2023 the rack is sitting on the ground in my front yard. I drove and picked it up at the shipper, or I would have waited another day. So 8 weeks from when I placed the order. I am totally OK with that.

Prinsu, Sherpa, and others

Some things to consider when you evaluate a rack:

My friend Andrew recommends the Prinsu rack. The rack is $980 and the ladder is $470. Some reviews I read recommend the Sherpa over the Prinsu. The Prinsu requires that you use silicone to seal the mounting and some people report leaks because they didn't get it right. The Sherpa includes some kind of foolproof gasket scheme. The Sherpa uses 1/4 aluminum where the Prinsu uses 3/16.

Sherpa does not offer a ladder, but Prinsu does (so buy a Prinsu ladder and use it with your Sherpa!). That isn't quite true, C4 fabrication makes the Sherpa racks and does offer a ladder. Prinsu racks are made in Idaho. Sherpa racks are made in South Dakota.

Note that you can get full size and 3/4 racks. Getting a 3/4 rack may be important if you have a moonroof. I see a 500 pound rating mentioned for the Prinsu..

The Sherpa rack also looks good for a low profile CNC rack using 1/4 inch aluminum. An outfit called C4 fab makes a ladder ($549). The ladder can remain mounted when the rear door opens!

So, would I want a Sherpa Crestone or a Princeton? They are the same price at $1494 The answer is easy. The Priceton is for the 2003-2009 4runner, and the Crestone is for the Gen5 (2010 to 2021+).

C4 fabrication makes all kinds of 4runner accessories.

Every time I turn around I find someone else making a 4runner roof rack. We now have Westcott designs (which doesn't look bad). They offer a Gen5 "Lo-Pro" rack for about $900

Have any comments? Questions? Drop me a line!

Tom's Auto repair pages / tom@mmto.org